Grilled Eggplant Gyros + 27+ Plant-Based Meals

A plant-based meal that tastes amazing! Grilled eggplant “steaks” seasoned with Greek seasoning and olive oil, creamy tzatziki, fresh juicy tomato, crunchy cucumber and red onion. This is a meatless meal that totally satisfies.

I love love love gyros … you know, that amazing Greek sandwich street food you see at every festival. I seriously thought it was the meat that I loved the most, but I had SO many eggplant from the garden and cucumbers and tomatoes too and even a few red onions. So I decided I would give a plant-based gyro a whirl. My daughter (a definite carnivore) requested a meat-based gyro as well, so I marinated some venison to cook up for her gyro. I wondered which one would taste better?

The funny thing was I tried both the meat-based version and the vegetarian version and I discovered I really like the plant-based version better. Now, to be fair, the venison certainly wasn’t anything like the traditional gyro meat which is garlicky ground beef and lamb strongly seasoned and cooked on a spit, then cut off in thin, juicy slices, but it was really tasty. Still, the eggplant version was just more flavorful. I really loved the buttery flavor and texture of the Greek grilled eggplant with the juicy tomato, creamy tzatziki, crunchy cucumber and the little sweet crunch of the onion wrapped up in the soft pita bread. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it …

The first essential thing to making these gyros taste Greek is the seasoning. You can certainly use a store-bought seasoning mix, but I am quite partial to my homemade Greek seasoning (recipe here). Don’t skimp on it when you make your gyros! The seasoning is what gives it that great Greek flavor.

Grilling the eggplant gives them a nice smoky taste and a texture more like steaks. Eggplant can get mushy when cooked in the oven or stovetop, but when you grill this pretty purple fruit (yes, eggplant is a fruit) in slices, it dries out the edges, leaving the inside nice and tender, yet the outside has a little bit of a chewy texture, so it’s just the perfect balance.

Do I need to salt the eggplant?

It depends on the eggplant. I typically get eggplant fresh from my mom’s garden and I’ve never had a bitter one yet, so I tend to skip the salting stage, but some of the store-bought ones can be bitter. If you are worried that your eggplant might be bitter, sprinkle it with salt and set it in a colander over the sink for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours before cooking. I don’t think I’ve ever actually bought an eggplant at the store because there are always so many from the garden, but if you’re purchasing your eggplant, here’s a guide that tells you how to pick the perfect eggplant.

Do I really need to peel the eggplant?

Some eggplant don’t need to be peeled, especially if they are fresh and young, but if they aren’t, then the peel can be tough. I tend to err on the side of caution here and peel them. I didn’t want any tough skin messing up my gyro nirvana!

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Looking for more plant-based meals?

Eating more plant-based foods not only helps save the planet, it can help ward off chronic diseases and keep you healthy. When you incorporate more plant-based meals in your diet, you might notice your blood pressure going down, your weight dropping, your skin looking healthier.

• Seriously Awesome Black Bean & Rice Burgers
• Spicy West African Fried Rice
• Bulgur Corn & Asparagus Salad
• Sweet Potato & Brown Rice Salad
• Zoodles with Parmesan Mushroom “Meatballs”
• Baked Butternut Brown Rice Risotto
• Kung Pao Cauliflower
• Meatless Zucchini “Meatballs”
• Mediterranean Mixed Bean Salad
• The Best Eggplant Parmesan (Gluten free)
• Nepalese Cauliflower Curry
• Zucchini Ravioli
• Spinach Mushroom Ravioli with Mushroom Cream Sauce
• Mushroom Artichoke Sun Dried Tomato Pizza
• Slow Cooker Baked Ziti – My Catholic Kitchen
• Garlic Butter Ravioli with Spinach – Seduction in the Kitchen
• Spinach Parmesan Balls with Sun Dried Tomato – My Love for Cooking
• Mujadara Hamra (Lebanese lentils & barley) – Hadia’s Lebanese Cuisine
• Crunchy Pomegranate Quinoa Salad – Hadia’s Lebanese Cuisine
• Crispy Seitan Cutlets – ChinDeep
• Coconut Tempeh Chickpea Curry – ChinDeep
• Supercrunch Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwiches – ChinDeep
• Vegan Nachos – ChinDeep
• Cheesy Italian Baked Beans – The Unorthodox Epicure

And here are some delicious vegetarian soup recipes too! Add a little bread and you have a cozy, comforting meal.

• Smoky Italian Kale & White Bean Soup
• Creamy Four Mushroom Bisque
• Rosemary Sage Pumpkin Soup
• Cheddar Broccoli Cheese Chowder – Cooking with Mary & Friends
• Italian Farmer’s Market Veggie Soup – Cooking with Mary & Friends
• Slow Cooker Ginger Curry Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes – The Fountain Avenue Kitchen
• Tikka Masala Navy Bean Soup – Ally’s Kitchen
• Indian Inspired Biryani Vegetable Soup – Ally’s Kitchen

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